THE SUMMER of ME by Angela Benson & GIVEAWAY

The national bestselling author of Delilah’s Daughters and The Amen Sisters returns with a moving story about a single mother who, in one unforgettable summer, discovers the woman she can become.

In Angela Benson’s, novel THE SUMMER of ME (WilliamMorrow), single mother, Destiny makes sacrifices for her children, including saying good-bye to the summer she usually shares with her kids, so they can spend time with their father and stepmother. Though she’ll miss them with all her heart, the time alone gives her an opportunity to address her own needs, like finishing her college degree. But Destiny’s friends think her summer should include some romance.

Destiny doesn’t want to be set up, until she meets Daniel. The handsome, warm, and charming pastor soon sweeps her off her feet. But is romance what she really wants? Or needs?

As the days pass, Destiny makes new discoveries about herself, the man she’s fallen for, and the people around her. And she faces challenging choices too. But most of all, she grows in ways she never imagined, learning unexpected lessons about trust, forgiveness, and the price of motherhood. She also has the opportunity to become the woman she truly wants to be.

My impressions:

This was my first introduction to Angela Benson and I found her writing style focused and pleasant. It was my first encounter with a novel including a spiritual overtone, which I found refreshing and it seemed to raise the stakes of the issues many of the characters faced. But I also felt as if Angela tackled too many issues and left some unresolved. What I enjoyed most was how as a divorced mom, she dealt with “the-other-woman.” The-Other-Woman being the stepmother. That is something many of us readers are currently struggling with from both sides.

Angela Benson is a graduate of Spelman College and the author of fourteen novels, including the Christy Award–nominated Awakening Mercy, the Essence bestseller The Amen Sisters, Up Pops the Devil, and Sins of the Father. She is an associate professor at the University of Alabama and lives in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

Find out more about Angela at her website and connect with her on Facebook.

Thanks to TLC Book Tours http://www.tlcbooktours.com and William Morrow Publishers, we have one copy of THE SUMMER of ME to giveaway to one lucky reader. What do YOU hope to do this summer? We’ll pick a winner Friday.